Cardiff’s bite proves more potent than its bark (just).

By: Martyn | November 16th, 2008

Cardiff City beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to ensure that rivals Swansea City didn’t leapfrog them in the table. Phew! Palace’s goal came from the ultimate usage of route one; a long punt upfield and two seconds later the ball is buried by the lone striker. Oh so simple, but oh so aesthetically wrong. Our central midfield pairing – yet again – failed to get in amongst their Palce counterparts for large parts, but then Palace’s central 5 (the way they were tucking in at times led to this) hardly surfed over our team like the wave we were: Passive and ready to be ridden before collapsing harmlessly. Thankfully therefore, we were able to keep our strikers in the game, utilize the TWO threats we had out wide, create chances and win two penalties (and remaining victorious in spite of missing one). Although Palace weren’t as challenging as an episode of Crystal Maze, they looked more capable than several sides I’ve seen this season and have a handful of young players who look more than handy. Sean Scannell in particular impressed me. For someone so young, he shrugged off experienced players such as Darren Purse with ease on numerous occasions, had no self-doubt issues when it came to running with the ball, scored a goal and proved as difficult to pick-up as a rich, stubborn hooker. That silly little bumfluff goatee beard aside, Scannell looks set for a glory-soaked future.

For the second week running, the Bluebirds have been involved in a game refereed by an appalling official. Last week it was Lee Probert, this week it was Jon Moss. Here is the list of games he has officiated this season. As you can see, the majority of these have been in Leagues One and Two. Now everyone has to work their way up in order to get to the top, but clearly refereeing too many games at a lower level has left Moss’s lips trigger-happy. Or blowing-happy, crude innuendos withstanding. Although we benefitted from the most farcicial decision (our first goal came from a penalty won and scored by Chopra – the foul was non-existent), nobody likes to see a referee having a bad game. What if we had been on the receiving end of that decision? I for one would have been fuming. Although luck seems to favour and go against you in equal measures throughout the season, I can understand the annoyance felt by a certain angry Yorkshireman and the Palace fans, and such cheap decisions do tarnish victories: Albeit very minimally seeing as 3 points is always welcome! It wasn’t just the penalty incident or the trigger-quick nature that made Moss’s performance woeful, but also some of the blatant fouls he missed and common sense decisions he failed to apply to the game (Yup, he was bad on all levels). I won’t bother throwing my hat into the ring for the ‘Knock The Respect The Ref Campaign, Campaign’ (even if arguably I have given my misgivings about the state of refeering over the past 8 days), but it does seem that performances since the introduction of this initiative have worsened.

Rank order and ratings out of ten.

Joe Ledley – Wow. A goal and a commanding performance. I’d continue rubbing my eyes but I’m afraid of them falling out. Ledley’s great performance (well, decent first half, great second half) was epitomised by the fact that his channel saw 90% of the ball when we were in possession in the second half. Seeing Peter Whittingham reduced to anonymity was staggering given his showings in the last few weeks when he has been one of our best players. But Ledley was so full of confidence – he played with a broken finger injury sustained in the second period – that it would have been foolish to try and work our way through on the right flank. Let’s hope this isn’t/wasn’t an anomaly. 9

Kevin McNaughton – An outstanding showing and return to form. I was tempted to mark McNaughton lower as he was partly responsible for Palace’s goal after colliding with Heaton. However after seeing the replay, Heaton and Kennedy were mainly at fault, and who can blame McNaughton charging back like a madman to try and clear the danger when you know that the only person left to deal with it is the horrendous Tom Heaton? That blip aside, McNaughton was up and down, up and down, up and down. But with tactical precision and urgent effectiveness combined. Jon Oster got no change from him and he tormened Palace’s left side when attacking. 8.5

Michael Chopra – Slotted home one pen with ease, missed another which was far too simple for the keeper to save. Chops was guilty of giving the ball away as we hung onto our narrow one goal advantage, but he redeemed himself by tormenting the Palace defence and keeper all afternoon with a performance that saw him harrass and hassle, tease and tangle. At the moment, isn’t doing enough to suggest that McCormack and Bothroyd will be held at arm’s length upon their respective returns. 8

Mark Kennedy – (Over?)Keen to impress against the side and manager that released him, Kennedy looked good other than a 5 minute spell that saw him lose his head. This spell included a hopeless lunge that meant he missed the ball completely and allowed Scannell and Ifil in to score Palace’s goal, and two pieces of cluelessness that involved a slow backpass and getting caught on the ball. Other than these moments Kennedy was strong in the tackle, held his position well and was as untroubled as you’d expect a senior pro to be. 7

Gavin Rae – Although the midfield struggled creatively as Palace kept Beattie back in a 5-man swamp-a-thon, when Rae did get on the ball (usually by winning it back himself) he looked to make things happen. Hardly dominant or comfortable mind, and its apparent more than ever that we need a midfielder with an engine/an eye for a goal/the ability to pick out a pass. 6

Paul Parry – Came on as a sub and almost scored via a deflected power-smash. His attacking influence was not as resplendent as normal but this was because Parry did his bit for the team in tracking back, holding the ball up and mucking in. Great to see characteristics such as these to his game when normally we focus solely on the attacking impetus he gives us. 6

Eddie Johnson – Ran, flicked on and worked hard. But another striker given the opportunities he was presented with today could and probably would have bagged a brace. Skied one effort over the bar hopelessly to the disbelief and howling laughter of all in the stands, and was gifted three occasions to run with the ball at his feet against the opposition defence. Johnson wasted them all as he proceeded to slow down when in sight of goal, lose control of the ball, and then pass it sideways after everyone Palace could muster had got back. I still can’t work out if he’s more comfortable when facing or facing away from goal. Neither, by the looks of it. Won the penalty in stoppage time but a goal is never going to materialise. 6

Peter Whittingham – Was practically given a free role in the first half as he dug mole-hills all over the park to pop-up and terrorise. His performance verged on the anonymous in the second half, but this was primarily caused by Ledley’s growth in stature. Always looks to make things happen though, even on the quiet and sloppier days such as this one. 5

Roger Johnson – Gave the ball away far too often with his useless heading and passing. This is why Johnson will never become a Premier League regular. 5

Darcy Blake – Had a bit of the Headless Chicken Sydrome after coming on to replace Rae in the centre of the park, and shows no signs of tactical awareness. This is because Blake has one of those never-say-die attitudes and does his best to encapsulate the meaning of the word bravery. When we need our formation to tuck in and shut out the gaps this could prove to be an undoing. Perhaps full-back is his true position after all, a position he played heroically and masterfully for the Wales U21 side recently. 4.5

Stephen McPhail – Can’t shoot. Can’t pass. Wants (and more worryingly, NEEDS) far too long on the ball. Can’t stand his ground. That is all. But that is enough. 3.5

Darren Purse – Was given nightmares by the young Scannell in the first half and got barged off the ball on far too many occasions, couldn’t pass to a colleague and was unusually casual and sloppy when clearing his lines. A very disappointing performance. 3

Tom Heaton – I want to split up his surname into the two most obvious compounds so as to form a pun about the him feeling the heat and not being only to take it. Heaton is so atrocious however that I don’t even feel that I can joke. Not only did we witness the several several goal-kicks that he cocks up every Saturday afternoon, this week we were aksi treated to a mistake that led to Palace’s goal. Marvellous, ruddy marvellous. If Tom Heaton is a ‘keeper, the prefix to the occupational word in that sentence must be Zoo. 2.5